Comics in the Classroom: 100 Tips, Tools, and Resources for Teachers

By Kelsey Allen

Gone are the days of children sneaking comics past diligent parents and teachers watching out for sub-par literature. The comics of today not only have plenty to offer, they are gaining well-deserved recognition and awards. Take advantage of the natural affinity children have for comics and use them as a powerful teaching tool in your classroom. The following tips, tools, and resources will get you started.

Understanding Benefits and Usage in the Classroom

Understand how comics are beneficial in schools and ways they can be used.

Eek! Comics in the Classroom!. This article describes many of the benefits of using comics and graphic novels in education and also includes resources for places to find appropriate materials for class.

Comic Books in the Classroom. This news story outlines why comic books may be a great way to promote reading in reluctant readers as well as help teach writing, emotions, and more.

Comics in the Classroom. Take an in depth look at the recent trend of using comics in the classroom, whether it is appropriate for the classroom, and resources for teaching with comics and graphic novels.

Gurney Journey: Comics in the Classroom. Illustrator James Gurney describes a tour of a class using comic books as inspiration. Be sure to read the comments section to hear from the teacher of the class.

Hamlet too hard? Try a comic book. This article describes some of the benefits of using graphic novels in class to help struggling readers and to boost interest in subjects.

Resources for Using Comics in the Classroom

These resources are all valuable sources of information, tools, community, and more to help you use comics in your classroom.

Comics in the Classroom. This site is all about promoting the use of comics in the classroom and includes news and reviews, lesson plans, forums, a blog, and much more.

Teachingcomics.org. This organization helps promote quality teaching through comics and offers such resources as lesson plans, study guides, handouts, connections with other teachers, and featured schools using comics in the classroom.

Comics in Education. This website is the final project for a teacher working on his Master’s degree and includes many resources for using comics in school.

Drawing Cartoons Theme Page. This site offers tons of links to resources ranging from creating cartoons to learning about the profession of cartoonist to teacher resources.

Toon Books. Keep abreast of the latest comic and graphic novels for emerging readers and also find lesson plans here.

Comic Books as Curriculum. This interview with Richard Jenkins, co-author of Comics in Your Curriculum, offers a peek at the book written to help teachers learn how to incorporate comics into their lessons.

Suggested Comics for the Classroom

If you need a little help knowing what comics are both high-quality and age-appropriate, then check out these lists.

Graphic Novels for (Really) Young Readers. Written by an elementary school librarian, this article offers excellent suggestions for beginning readers through more accomplished elementary readers–and a reminder of the powerful effects of using graphic novels in education.

Bringing Comics into the Classroom. This article is written by a college instructor who describes his class on Comic Books as Literature and, while aimed at older students, offers insight into how literature can be taught through comics.

The comic book assignment was a hit!. This teacher shares her experience of using a comic book assignment as a final evaluation for high school students. She shares both the positive aspects and her learning points.

Lesson Plan: Maus. This high school lesson uses Art Spiegelman’s comic book, Maus (the first comic to win the Pulitzer Prize), to teach students about the Holocaust and World War II. Read through the information about comic book programs, then find this lesson plan at the end of the report.

The Comic Book Show and Tell. Students will draft a comic book script based on a prompt, create a layout, revise their drafts, and share revisions with others.

Comic Book Show and Tell. Related to the above lesson, this group activity allows students to create and draw their own story through the medium of comics.

Man in the Iron Mask Teachers’ Guide. This detailed lesson plan for the Marvel Illustrated version of Man in the Iron Mask includes vocabulary, cross-curricular applications, literacy standards, and detailed instructions for lessons.

Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked!. This study guide from the History Channel offers suggestions for teaching this lesson to middle and high school students and also includes a link to the video.

Comic Concepts. For students in 4th to 12th grade, this lesson allows students to create and draw their own comic narrative based on one of three styles.

Autobiographical Comics. This project steps teachers through guiding middle and high school students through creating comics to detail autobiographical stories.

Manga and Anime

Manga (the written comics) and Anime (the motion cartoons) are not only super popular in Japan, but have gained a huge following around the world as well. Both Manga and Anime provide important lessons not only about Japanese culture, but about education and life lessons as well.

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